Contents
Recently, there has been a trend – with a wide selection of teas, most people choose coffee. Although green tea is gaining popularity among health conscious people, it is not consumed as often as coffee and coffee drinks.
Tea, Coffee, and Caffeine
Both tea and coffee contain caffeine, but coffee usually contains 2-3 times more caffeine. Caffeine consumption has some negative physiological effects. The negative effects of caffeine are increased anxiety, panic, difficulty falling asleep, poor digestion, and headaches. Which in turn can serve as a catalyst and the “last straw” for cancer and big heart problems. If you are worried about the negative effects of caffeine, then herbal tea or decaffeinated coffee is the way out for you.
Harm coffee
Some studies have shown that people who drink coffee significantly increase the level of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. As it turned out, the caffeine contained in coffee is not responsible for raising blood cholesterol levels. This is due to the fact that coffee contains two natural chemicals called “diterpene compounds” – cafestol and caveol, which affect a significant increase in LDL cholesterol (the so-called “bad cholesterol”).
Five cups of coffee a day can raise your cholesterol levels by as much as 5-10%. If coffee is consumed with sugar and cream, this further increases blood lipid levels. Scientists have proven that regular consumption of 5 or more cups of unfiltered coffee a day, with cream and sugar, easily increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and a heart attack by 30 to 50%.
What about filtered coffee (household coffee makers)? Passing through a paper filter removes most of the diterpene compounds, and thus filtered coffee has less of an effect on increasing LDL levels. However, recent studies have shown that the consumption of such coffee increases the level of homocysteine. As it builds up in the body, it attacks the inner walls of the arteries, creating tears that the body tries to heal. Then calcium and cholesterol are sent to the damage, forming an atherosclerotic plaque, which narrows, and sometimes completely clogs the lumen of the vessel. This usually results in a thrombus or vessel rupture, with all the ensuing consequences such as stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and even death.
More recent studies have shown that elevated homocysteine levels double the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The benefits of tea
There is growing scientific evidence that regular tea consumption can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and even help reduce the overall risk of cancer. Black and green tea contain many beneficial natural chemicals called flavonoids. In the human body, flavonoids increase the activity of metabolic enzymes. Some flavonoids have antimicrobial and antibacterial effects. Flavonoids can reduce the oxidation of the cholesterol particle and/or reduce the tendency for platelets (cells that play an important role in healing and repairing damaged tissue) to linger on arterial walls. This suggests that black tea may reduce the risk of clogged arteries and/or heart attack. Scientists in Wales studied more than 70 elderly patients and found that those who drank tea often had fewer atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta. Most recently, a five-year study by scientists from Rotterdam showed a 2% lower risk of heart attack in people who drank 3-XNUMX cups of black tea a day. The study concluded that increased consumption of tea and flavonoids may contribute to the primary prevention of coronary heart disease.
Tea bags
Dear readers, in this article we are talking only about good quality loose leaf tea! Since tea bags raise a lot of questions and complaints.
Dishonest producers can put tea dust, or tea production waste in general, instead of crushed quality tea. Therefore, boiling water poured into a cup with a bag acquires color so quickly. Dyes are often added to tea bags.
How to identify tea with dye? It is enough to throw a lemon into it. If the tea has not become lighter, then it contains a dye.
Never drink fruit and flower tea bags – they are 100% poison. They contain a huge amount of dyes and flavors.
Bones and joints are the first to suffer from the use of tea bags.
In no case do not drink overstayed tea – it turns into poison. After 30 minutes, freshly brewed tea not only loses all useful substances, but its consumption also causes nervous disorders, problems with teeth and stomach. Immunity decreases, the acidity of the stomach increases, which usually provokes gastritis and peptic ulcer.
How to check the quality of tea
If the bag remains transparent after brewing, and there are no yellow streaks on it, then the manufacturer used expensive paper, and accordingly there is no point in putting poor quality tea in it. If the paper turns yellow after welding and stains appear on it, then it is of poor quality and cheap. Accordingly, tea of similar quality.
Conclusion
Regular coffee consumption may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and may also increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. But it’s not so much the caffeine that’s to blame, but the natural chemicals found in coffee beans. Unlike coffee, black or green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and may also reduce the risk of at least some types of cancer. Therefore, tea is a healthier choice. The best option is herbal tea. You can buy it at any nearby market from people who have been doing this for many years.
Be healthy!